Rail-block for sulky-plows.



No. 860,704. PATENTED JULY 23, 1907.

P. L THOMPSON. v TAIL BLOCK FOR SULKY FLOWS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1907.

UNITED STATES FRANK L. THOMPSON, OF WHEATLAND, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

TAIL-BLOCK FOR SULKY-PLOWS.

Application filed June 3,1907. Serial No. 376,980.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. THonrsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wheatland, in the county of Oklahoma and Territory ofOklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTail-Blocks for Sulky-Plows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to plows, more especially that class known as sulkyor riding plows which have a rear swivel or caster-wheel with itsstandard pivotally secured in a tail-block bolted to the beam of theplow and projecting rearwardly, which will, hereinafter be more fullyexplained.

The objects of my invention are; first, to provide a tail-block forsulky plows by the means of which a boy large enough to drive a team butnot large enough to work a lover or a pedal can plow and turn cornerswithout difliculty; second, to simplify the tail-block by dispensingwith some of its parts and attachments; third, to dispense with thenecessity of working pedads or levers in turning corners; fourth toprovide means whereby the driver may turn the wrong way without damageto the plow or its attachments. I attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a right side elevation of a sulkyplow showing my improved tail-block attached thereto, unnecessary partsomitted and parts of the plow being broken away; Fig. 2 is a partsectional plan view; Fig. 3 is a part sectional plan view on line a:Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is part plan view of the locking-cap; Fig. 5 is a partsectional elevation of the locking-cap and a portion of the tail-block;Fig. 6 is a right side elevation of the latch as attached to thetail-block; Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the tail-block andlocking-cap.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A is the beam of an ordinary sulky plow ofthe right hand style, B is the landside and G is the moldboard of theplow, a portion of which is broken away to show parts otherwiseobscured, D refers to the bolts securing the plow beam to the land-side;a is the tail-block, preferably of malleable iron, firmly secured to theplow beam A by the bolts E; the front edge of said block is thin andeven with the edge of the plow beam and increases in thickness from theedge back a short distance, the portion which contacts with the plowbeam conforms to the contour of tilG'SldG of the beam to aid in securingri gidity to the said block, which has a slight off-set at the rear edgeof the beam A, from which it extends rearward on a line therewith,terminating in a cylindrical swell b having a vertical openingtherethrough for the reception of the standard or pivotal portion F ofthe shaft F having its rear-end bent at a right angle Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented. July 23, 1907.

l forming the aXle F for the wheel G; to maintain the i said shaft inposition the pivotal portion F has the cap or collar 0 firmly securedthereon by means of setscrews 1], the said cap contacting with the upperportion of the swelled or tubular portion b of the tail: block a; e is ahorizontal flange projection of the cap 0, which may properly be calleda check or a stop, its office being to prevent the said wheel fromturning the wrong way while operating in conjunction with thelatching-bar 0 having a shoulder a normally contacting with the frontedge e of the said flange or stop 0; the opposite or front end of thesaid latching-bar is pivoted in a slot or groove at the upper edge ofthe said tail-block formed by vertically projecting ears f f being apart of said block, the bolt 9 serving as the pivot; from the outervertical side of the said latching-bar projects the foot-lug 6 havingits upper surface at a right angle to the said latching-bar e, and fromthe under edge of the said bar a stud 0 projects which is encompassed bythe upper end of the spiral spring h having its lower end resting uponthe strengthening-rib a the purpose being to maintain the free end ofthe latching-block against the under surface of the cap 0; to relievethe bolt g from unnecessary strain the pivotal end of the latching-bar 6may be rounded and its seat adapted to it as shown in Fig. 6.

To provide for sulky plows of the tongueless Variety, which require thattheir caster wheel be locked while going down declines duringtransportation from field to field or on the road, the eye I) is castupon the swell or tubular portion b of the tail-block a and on the sidewhich the said wheel travels; the hook rod H has one of its ends formedinto a hook adapted to engage the spokes of the said wheel the oppositeend being formed into an eye loosely engaging the eye b, see Fig. 1. Toprevent the rod H from engaging the wheel G at undesirable times thehook t is provided upon the side of the tail-block a and during disusethe said rod H may rest therein, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

I have described a tail-block for a right-hand plow, but it is equallywell adapted to a left-hand plow by reversing certain of its parts whichare too apparent to require description, they are made rights and leftsto correspond with the plows to which they are adapted and attached.

In operation, it will be understood that a righthand plow in the act ofturning corners turns to the left; therefore, by referring to Fig. 2 itwill be seen that the plow is free to turn to the left at a right-angle,or even more, as indicated by the dotted lines, but cannot turn to theright, except that the driver press the latching-bar e downward untilits shoulder 6 passes below the contact or butting point e of thecheck-flange c of the collar 0 which is firmly but adjustably securedupon the pivotal standard F. The latching-block 6 may be pressed down bythe butt of a Whip or by the driver placing his foot upon the.

pedal-lug e and pressing downward; the said block will assume its normalposition when the plow and its caster wheel assume a direct line.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim i as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a sulky plow, a tail-block a having a bodyportion adapted to be bolted to the beam of the plow and having avertical web portion extending rearward terminating in a swell or tubeZ) with an eye 1) upon its side to support a locking-hook and havingvertical ears' f f perforated for a bolt and having an upwardly turnedhook '1' upon the face side of said tail-block to support the saidiflC1(illg-ilQOk, the locking-bar 0 having its forward end pivotallysecured between said cars by means of said bolt the said latching-barhaving a shoulder 0 upon its rear end and projecting from its face sidea foot or pedal lug by which to depress the said bar, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with snlky plows having caster wheels, a tail-blocl:to support a castor wheel and having a body portion firmly secured tothe plow beam, an upwardly turned hook projecting from its face side, apair of vertical ears extending from its upper edge which haveperforations in which a bolt is secured, a latchingbar having one of itsends pivoted upon said bolt its opposite end being shouldered and havinga pedal-lug projecting from its face side, spring tension being providedfor maintain ing the said 1atching-block in its normal position, theflanged collar or cap 0 provided with set-screws for adjust ably andfirmly securing the same upon the standard portion of the caster wheelshaft pivotally secured in the rear tubular portion of the saidtail-block which maintains FRANK L. THOMPSON.

Witnesses S. S. KING, M. E. M(;'(.osKnY.

